Wales Office

Government's Legislative Programme (Wales) 2017-19

Alun Cairns: The Government’s first legislative programme announced in the Queen’s Speech on 21 June contains a wide range of measures that will apply to Wales either in full or in part. The following Bills and draft Bills will extend to Wales in whole or in part: Agriculture Bill (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)Armed Forces (Flexible Working) Bill (Ministry of Defence)Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill (Department for Transport)Civil Liability Bill (Ministry of Justice)Courts Bill (Ministry of Justice)Customs Bill (HM Treasury)Data Protection Bill (Department for Culture Media and Sport)Draft Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill (Home Office)EU Approvals Bill (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)Financial Guidance and Claims Bill (Department for Work and Pensions)Fisheries Bill (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)Goods Mortgages Bill (Law Commission)Immigration Bill (Home Office)International Sanctions Bill (Foreign and Commonwealth Office)National Insurance Contributions Bill (HM Treasury)Nuclear Safeguards Bill (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)Repeal Bill (Department for Exiting the European Union)Smart Meter Bill (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)Space Industry Bill (Department for Transport)Trade Bill (Department for International Trade)Travel Protection Bill (Department for Transport) There are currently no plans for the provisions in the following draft Bills to apply to Wales: Draft Patient Safety Bill (Department of Health)Draft Tenants’ Fees Bill (Department for Communities and Local Government) Although the High Speed Rail (West Midlands – Crewe) Bill will extend to Wales, this Bill will set out the route of the railway from the West Midlands to Crewe. The programme will also include three Finance Bills to implement budget policy decisions, which will apply to Wales. In line with the convention on legislative consent, the Government will continue to work constructively with the Welsh Government to secure legislative consent motions where appropriate.

Scotland Office

Government's Legislative Programme (Scotland) 2017-19

David Mundell: The legislative programme for the First Session was outlined by Her Majesty on Wednesday 21 May. This statement provides a summary of the new Government legislation for 2017/19 and its application to Scotland. It does not include draft bills, Law Commission bills or Finance Bills. The programme will include three Finance Bills to implement budget policy decisions. The Government’s legislative programme will bring forward important legislation required in relation to exiting the European Union, whilst also continuing to deliver on important domestic policy. Legislation will be brought forward to support advances in transport technologies, making the UK a leader in industries including electric cars and commercial satellites. The Government will also legislate to provide for greater work flexibility for members of the armed forces, improve the provision of financial advice and will support energy efficiency though the smart meter regime. The Government’s Repeal Bill will help to deliver a smooth and orderly exit from the EU. In addition several further bills on EU Exit will legislate in keys areas such as trade, customs and immigration. In addition to this new programme, we remain committed to implementation of the Scotland Act 2016. Moving forward, the UK Government is committed to working closely with the Scottish Government to implement these important powers, including the significant transfer of welfare responsibilities. The powers devolved in the Act will result in the Scottish Parliament becoming one of the most powerful devolved parliaments in the world. In line with the Sewel Convention, the Government will continue to work constructively with the Scottish Government to secure legislative consent motions where appropriate. The Bills listed in section 1 will apply to Scotland, either in full or in part. Some of these bills may engage the Sewel process depending on final content. Section 2 details Bills that will not apply in Scotland. Section 1: Legislation applying to the United Kingdom, including Scotland (either in full or in part). Repeal BillAgriculture BillArmed Forces (Flexible Working) BillAutomated and Electric Vehicles BillCourts BillCustoms BillData Protection BillEuropean Union (Approvals) BillFinancial Guidance and Claims BillFisheries BillHigh Speed Rail (West Midlands - Crewe) Bill (technically applies to the whole UK but concerns the Fradley-Crew route)Immigration BillInternational Sanctions BillNational Insurance Contributions BillNuclear Safeguards BillSmart Meter BillSpace Industry BillTrade BillTravel Protection BillSection 2: Legislation that will not extend to Scotland; Civil Liability Bill

Northern Ireland Office

Government's Legislative Programme (Northern Ireland) 2017-19

James Brokenshire: The Government’s legislative programme for the First Session was outlined by Her Majesty on Wednesday 21 June. The legislative programme will deliver legislation required in relation to exiting the European Union, in addition to delivering on important domestic policy.The following Bills contained in the programme are likely to extend to Northern Ireland in whole or in part:  Agriculture Bill (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) Armed Forces (Flexible Working) Bill (Ministry of Defence) Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill (Department for Transport) Courts Bill (Ministry of Justice)  Customs Bill (HM Treasury)  Data Protection Bill (Department for Culture Media and Sport)  EU Approvals Bill (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) Financial Guidance and Claims Bill (Department for Work and Pensions) Fisheries Bill (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) Immigration Bill (Home Office)  International Sanctions Bill (Foreign and Commonwealth Office)  National Insurance Contributions Bill (HM Treasury) Nuclear Safeguards Bill (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) Repeal Bill (Department for Exiting the European Union) Space Industry Bill (Department for Transport) Trade Bill (Department for International Trade) Travel Protection Bill (Department for Transport)   There are currently no plans for the provisions in the following Bills and draft Bills to extend to Northern Ireland:   Civil Liability Bill (Ministry of Justice) Draft Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill (Home Office)  Draft Patient Safety Bill (Department of Health)  Draft Tenants’ Fees Bill (Department for Communities and Local Government)  Goods Mortgages Bill (Law Commission) Smart Meter Bill (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)Although the High Speed Rail (West Midlands – Crewe) Bill sets out the route of the railway from the West Midlands to Crewe, its provision may have consequential effects relevant to Northern Ireland.The programme will also include three Finance Bills to implement budget policy decisions, which will apply to Northern Ireland.The Government will continue to work with all of the parties in Northern Ireland to support the return of devolved government. We will also work constructively with Northern Ireland Departments Bills as part of the process of securing legislative consent motions where appropriate.

Leader of the House

The Government's Legislative Programme 2017-19

Andrea Leadsom: Following yesterday’s State Opening of Parliament, and for the convenience of the House, I am listing the Bills which were announced yesterday:  Agriculture BillArmed Forces (Flexible Working) BillAutomated and Electric Vehicles BillCivil Liability BillCourts BillCustoms BillData Protection BillDraft Domestic Violence and Abuse BillDraft Patient Safety BillDraft Tenants’ Fees BillEuropean Union (Approvals) BillFinancial Guidance and Claims BillFisheries BillHigh Speed Rail (West Midlands - Crewe) BillImmigration BillInternational Sanctions BillNational Insurance Contributions BillNuclear Safeguards BillRepeal BillSmart Meter BillSpace Industry BillTrade BillTravel Protection Bill The following Law Commission Bill will be introduced:Goods Mortgages Bill The programme will also include three Finance Bills to implement budget policy decisions. Detailed information about each of these Bills can be accessed from the Gov.uk website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/queens-speech-2017

Department for Transport

Rail Franchising

Paul Maynard: I am pleased to inform the House that we have today published the shortlists of companies that will bid for the new West Coast Partnership franchise which will launch the first services on HS2, and the next South Eastern franchise. The House will be aware passenger numbers have more than doubled since privatisation of the railways 20 years ago and our country’s railways need to adapt and change to be able to cope with this and future demands. This Government is committed to revolutionising our railways through innovation and investment to transform passengers’ experiences and ensure our railways work for everyone. This is an exciting time for both franchises, which are changing to ensure passengers are at the heart of their services. The winner of the WCP franchise will be expected to work with HS2 Ltd to launch the first services on HS2, taking advantage of the extra space it will provide for commuters on the West Coast Main Line. The winner of the South Eastern franchise will need to work as one team with Network Rail to ensure passengers experience better journeys and provide longer trains with more space.  West Coast Partnership Franchise The West Coast Partnership will be responsible for services on the West Coast Main Line from April 2019 and will design and run the initial HS2 high speed services between London and Birmingham from 2026. The shortlist contains bidding consortia which sees UK rail network experts working in partnership with companies that operate high speed railways around the globe, supported by businesses which have an excellent track record in customer services. They are: First Trenitalia West Coast Ltd, a joint venture between First Rail Holdings Limited and Trenitalia SpA;MTR West Coast Partnership Ltd, a joint venture between MTR Corporation (UK) Ltd and Guangshen Railway Company), with the following Key Sub-Contractors: Deloitte MCS Ltd, Panasonic Systems Europe, Snowfall AB, Trainline.com Ltd and WSP Parsons Brinkerhoff; andWest Coast Partnership Ltd a joint venture between Stagecoach Group plc, Virgin Holdings Ltd and SNCF C3). The West Coast Partnership will support growth and better services on the West Coast Main Line while helping to ensure HS2 becomes the backbone of Britain’s future railways. This will create more seats for passengers, improve connections between our great cities, free up space on existing rail lines and generate jobs and economic growth throughout the country. The winning bidder will collaborate with HS2 Ltd to design, launch and operate the initial HS2 services and deliver the transition of the timetable on the West Coast Main Line as it is revised to take advantage of the extra capacity provided by HS2. There are significant benefits in bringing the two projects closer together to ensure the best outcomes for passengers both before and after the start of the HS2 services. The new operator will also be expected to work closely with local transport authorities, Transport Scotland and the Welsh Government to ensure passengers receive the excellent experience they demand from the West Coast Main Line. South Eastern FranchiseThe South Eastern franchise is one of the busiest franchises in the UK, running almost two thousand services every weekday. We want passengers to be at the heart of everything that the new operator does, enjoying modern, spacious trains on a more punctual and reliable service. We will listen to what passengers say in the current public consultation, and we will seek to make changes and improvements only with their support. We will create more space for passengers in the peak commuting times including by running longer, more modern trains in and around London. Other ambitions for this franchise include: increasing the reliability of trains by using the latest technology while reducing delays by encouraging the operator to work closely with Network Rail;improving passenger compensation arrangements and supporting smart ticketing; andimproving customer service, with staff able to respond quickly and effectively, including during disruption. The new franchise will also complement the completion of two major enhancement schemes – Thameslink and Crossrail – providing passengers with more trains, more destinations, and significant improvements in reliability and performance. The winner of the next South Eastern franchise will be required to optimise the value of these investments for passengers. The shortlisted bidders for the South Eastern rail franchise competition are: The Franchise Applicant, South Eastern Railways Ltd, is currently a wholly owned subsidiary of Abellio Transport Group Ltd. If awarded the franchise it would become a subsidiary of South Eastern Holdings Ltd, a joint venture between Abellio and the consortium of East Japan Railway Company and Mitsui & Co., Ltd;London and South East Passenger Rail Services Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Govia Limited;Stagecoach South Eastern Trains Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Stagecoach Group plc; andTrenitalia UK Limited, wholly owned by Trenitalia S.p.A.The public consultation seeking views and priorities for the new South Eastern franchise runs until June 30. The new franchise is planned to start in December 2018.New companies enter the marketI am also pleased to inform the House that two companies have applied for a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire Passport to allow them to enter the bidding process. These firms are now eligible to express an interest in all upcoming rail franchise competitions until September 2019. Amey Rail LimitedSNCF - C3


This statement has also been made in the House of Lords: 
HLWS1